Volume 2018-06| June 2018
Rocky Mountain BEST Volunteer Newsletter
Counting down until we kickoff the season!
~ 75 Days
Please save 15 September , 20 October and 27 October on your calendars to ensure you'll be part of making our 2018 competition successful.
Please also remember the 2nd annual Denver BEST Regional Competition on 8 and 9 December.
2018 Competition - Save the Dates!
Middle and High Schools Signed Up for 2018
1. Abraham Lincoln High School - Denver
2. Aurora Frontier P-8 - Aurora
3. Aurora Quest - Aurora
4. Bishop Machebeuf High School - Denver Private
5. Broomfield High School - Boulder Valley
6. Columbine Middle School - Montrose
7. Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design - Denver
8. DSST Byers – Denver
9. DSST Stapleton High School - Denver
10. East Middle School - Aurora
11. Gateway High School - Aurora
12. Heath Middle School – Greeley
13. Kennedy High School - Denver
14. Monarch High School - Boulder Valley
15. Montrose High School NJROTC * - Montrose
16. Mrachek Middle School - Aurora
17. New Vista High School - Boulder Valley
18. North Middle School - Aurora
19. Sacred Heart of Jesus School* - Boulder Private
20. Skinner Middle School - Denver
21. Skyline High School - St. Vrain Valley
22. St. Mary’s Academy Middle School – Englewood Private
23. STRIVE Prep – RISE - Denver
24. Thomas Jefferson High School - Denver
25. West Middle School - Cherry Creek
26. Westgate Community School - Adams 12
27. Westminster High School * - Westminster

* Rookie Teams in 2018

Have any interested school interested in competing and filling one of the remaining few school slots, please ask the teacher to send an email to: Linda.King@bestinc.org. We will have a wait list once we fill all slots.
OUR THANKS to MSU Denver AND Denver Public Schools (DPS) Charter School STRIVE Prep: RISE for the use of their facilities in 2018.
Schedule
  • Denver Teacher / Mentor Institute Workshop: 17-19 July at MSU Denver
  • Kickoff: 15 September at DPS School STRIVE Prep: RISE in Green Valley Ranch
  • Practice Day: 20 October at DPS School STRIVE Prep: RISE in Green Valley Ranch
  • Game Day: 27 October at MSU Denver Auraria Event Center
  • Regional Championship: 8-9 December at MSU Denver Auraria Event Center
Click the above CURRENT EVENTS Game Logo graphic to view the 90 second game teaser video.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Monday Kit Team Volunteers Wanted
We are already working most Monday's at 10 AM at our workshop located at 781 Vallejo in Denver.
No experience needed and extra hands are always helpful.
Please email Carolyn Bauer at cbauer@rmbest.org if you are interested in working on the Monday Kit Team to get on the email list.

Game Field Volunteers Wanted
We need volunteers this summer to help with the 2018 Current Events Game Field:
  1. Help cut materials
  2. Build the game field components,
  3. Paint the field components,
  4. Collect game pieces for the 2018 game.

Please email Linda King at Linda.King@bestinc.org if you want to help the game field team. 

Main requirement – Ability to keep a secret! The game and field are confidential until the game reveal at Kickoff in September. We'll match your skills to the tasks.

Below is the Game Field schedule. Many tasks have flexible schedules or are on weekends.
  • Friday 20 July: Cut Day - power tool skills are helpful, but we also need help organizing the pieces into kits for different builders - stay 1 hour or up to ~8 hours
  • July-August - flexible schedule: Builders needed to build one or more field pieces. We match the game field piece to each builder’s space, tools, and abilities.
  • TBD Late - August: Assemblers needed at the Workshop to assemble the game field. 
  • July-September - flexible schedule: Collectors needed to bring in about 70 game pieces that are common household recycling items.
  • TBD Early September: Painters to paint the game field and the game pieces.

We ALSO have openings on our Steering Team planning our 2018 season and on our Board of Directors growing our organization.
2017 Championship
2017 Championship
2016 Game Field View
Example Game Field from 2016


Example Game Field from 2015
Meet our New Awards and Judging Co-Leads
We are thrilled to introduce you to Ben and Kayla Straub who moved to Colorado in January to continue their engineering careers. We are excited to have them join our Steering Team as the 2018 Awards and Judging Co-Leads.

They graduated from Auburn University in 2013 where they got their Bachelors degrees in Electrical Engineering followed by Masters degrees from Virginia Tech in 2016.

During their time at Auburn, Ben and Kayla volunteered at the War Eagle BEST hub and the South's BEST regional competitions.

Ben and Kayla have a love for robotics, and they're excited to share that passion with the next generation of engineers and our 2018 volunteer judges! 
2018 Prototype Weekend
Ben & Kayla Straub with BEST co-founder Ted Mahler at April BEST prototype weekend at Auburn University.

 Please contact Kayla at kayla.straub@bestinc.org if you'd like to get involved with Awards and Judging!
Reaching Out in Colorado -Upcoming Events in September!!
Beyond Kickoff (on September 15) when the secrets of the Current Events game will be made known to RM BEST participants, other events are also planned with Rocky Mountain BEST’s participation.

On Saturday, September 22, EVERYONE is invited to attend Energy Day Colorado Festival at Denver's East High School from 11 AM until 4 PM. It is a FREE event for families. Kids will have interactive activities to try, there will be booths, Joel Noble and his students from East High School will feature FIRST activities on the football field, BEST will have the robot from the Pay Dirt game (involving mining and economics) for people to drive, and CBS news will be there as well! So join us for a day on the Esplanade and football field for learning about Energy in Colorado.

Aurora Public Schools (APS) will once again hold a Career Trek for ALL eighth graders in the district on September 27 & 28. Rocky Mountain BEST will join other groups on one of the days to encourage students to gain skills in STEM since BEST develops many work place skills to be used in STEM-based careers. And BEST offers a fun and hands-on experience in STEM activities. Kudos to APS for organizing the annual Career Trek!!
Exciting News about Regional Championship Partners
We’re excited to have these Educational Partners for our Regional Championship:
  1. Community College of Denver,
  2. Red Rocks Community College,
  3. Metropolitan State University of Denver,
  4. Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering at Colorado State University,
  5. Western State Colorado University. 
These partners will have booths and will receive other benefits at the Regional Championship in recognition of their financial support. You can stay up to date with sponsors at  http://www.rockymountainbest.org/2018-regional-championship-sponsors/
Hundreds of Educators Learn about BEST with Winning PA Team
American Society of Engineering Educators Annual Conference & Exposition: The only conference dedicated to all disciplines of engineering education...We are committed to fostering the exchange of ideas, enhancing teaching methods and curriculum, and providing prime networking opportunities for engineering and technology education stakeholders

In late June, Carolyn Bauer from RM BEST was sent by BEST Robotics, Inc. to the Annual Conference & Exposition . She was joined by 2 students and a mentor from a school in West Mifflin near Pittsburgh PA - Cornerstone Christian Preparatory Academy.  

WOW!! Cornerstone Prep was one of the ASEE National Student STEM Winners. Check out their accomplishments:
  • In 2010, Cornerstone Prep started participating in the BEST Robotics competition; a program that is designed to introduce students to authentic and engaging experiences in engineering related careers.
  • ... the team has won first place at our local Grove City Competition 8 times. The team has won first place at the regional competition .., twice.
  • Currently, our high school has 89 students, of which 34 are on the robotics team;
  • but our team is not only high school. We take pride in the fact that we have middle school students on our team; we actively mentor the next generation of engineers. 65% of our high school graduates go on to pursue engineering careers, showing just how integral BEST Robotics has been to exposing students to life-long career choices.
  • BEST Robotics has many different ways for students to display and practice their talents: designing the marketing booth, informal and formal marketing presentations, writing an engineering notebook, designing and building the robot, programming the robot, and making video games.

BEST representatives talked to hundreds of educators from across the nation and several countries with goals to create more BEST hubs and involve additional middle and high schools in BEST Robotics .
2018 ASEE Conference
BEST booth photos attracted hundreds of participants to learn about BEST
2018 ASEE Conference
Cornerstone Prep
 ASEE National Student STEM Winners
Great Elitch Offer for a Great Cause! NOW Available
Help us obtain a donation to support our efforts to bring a robotics competition that is FREE to schools AND enjoy Elitch Gardens at a great discount!!

Season Pass ONLY $69.99! Two Parks, One Price. Pays for itself in just Two visits.
  • FREE Parking all season.
  • Exclusive Money Saving Coupon Book, over $300 in savings!
  • Unlimited Theme and Water Park visits.
  • Fright Fest in October
  • Early Entry into Water Park
  • Lowest Price Available! Limited Time Offer!
Discount Daily Ticket Prices also available.
Click Elitch Gardens Graphic to access the RM BEST Discount website to Purchase, Print and Play.
Other Ways to Participate by Donating
Donations 
You can donate ANYTIME at  Rocky Mountain BEST at ColoradoGives.org. 
Benevity
If  your company has gift matching through Benevity, Rocky Mountain BEST is one of the eligible non-profit organizations. Please check with your company about gift matching!
Kroger Gift Card
If you have a Rocky Mountain BEST King Soopers/City Market Gift Card, Kroger donates 5% of EVERY gift card purchase at any Kroger Store -- including card refills -- to Rocky Mountain BEST... all at no cost to you -- FOREVER! In 2017, we received over $3800 thanks to all the card users.  Contact Lois at lwalton@rmbest.org   to make arrangements to purchase a card and help increase the value we received. 
Amazon Smile
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rocky Mountain BEST whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Wondering what to do with your used car or truck? 
Donating your old vehicle to ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEST is convenient, easy, and may qualify you for a tax deduction. And best of all, your donation of a used car or truck will make a big difference in supporting ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEST.
Why not donate your vehicle today? All you need to do is to complete our SIMPLE ON LINE FORM or call 1-866-628-2277 and we'll take care of the rest. We will pick up your vehicle, arrange to have your donation towed, and provide you with a tax-deductible receipt, all at no charge to you. 
Rocky Mountain BEST Robotics | 303-351-BEST (303-351-2378)
Build a robot in six weeks;
inspire a youth for a lifetime
Don't miss out making it possible!